Todd McKinney is a Master's/ PhD student studying atmospheric science at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. He currently holds a bachelor's degree in earth systems science. Todd’s primary focus is using balloon based platforms  to answer science questions involving air quality, atmospheric transport, and severe weather dynamics. Todd has been involved in hundreds of balloon launches, including national weather service balloons, amateur latex payloads, pico balloons, ozonesondes, venting balloons, and cut down payloads. Just recently, he traveled to German Antarctic station Neumayer III to launch pico balloons and has recently published research in the Bulletin of American Meteorological Society on how pico balloons can be used for scientific research. Todd has forged strong connections with key stakeholders such as NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the national weather service, making him a valuable asset to the balloon community.